Tokio Hotel Rate Their Styles Over The Years

Since blasting onto the international scene with their debut album, Schrei, [artist id="2034673"]Tokio Hotel[/artist] have become just as famous for their style as they have for their songs … perhaps even more so. Which is why, when they recently sat down with MTV News for an extended interview, we decided to take a trip with them, back through time and space and, of course, hairstyles.

Because while some things have remained the same throughout the years (namely drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing), Tokio Hotel’s two biggest fashion plates — frontman Bill Kaulitz and his brother, guitarist Tom — have undergone some rather drastic transformations.

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Which is why we had them take a look at old photographs, taken at key moments in their band’s career, and discuss their fashion decisions (and perhaps even figure out just what they were thinking too). And to do this, we went back to their infancy as a band: 2003, when they were all so, so young.

The Year: 2003The Look: Bill as a thrift-store punk rocker, the other three guys as baby-faced skate rats.

Bill Kaulitz: I was really proud of this shirt [I'm wearing] because I made it. It was, like, a cheap shirt from a supermarket, and I cut the sleeves off.

Tom Kaultiz: And here you can see that Georg always had great style. [Laughs.] … He was always beautiful and always great hair.

BK: It was a tiny room [we rehearsed in]. It was great. We wanted to be successful, we wanted to shoot a video. We just wrote a song and we were like, “OK, let’s go onstage! Let’s shoot a video for it!” That was always our dream. … We just wanted to have fans and a crowd who would listen.

TK: We played every weekend in small clubs. I think at this time we had, like, 10 fans.

BK: That was at a really, really huge award show in Germany, and we got our first award. We were so nervous — I think you can see it in my eyes. I think [my hair's] a bit too short, but at the time, I liked it. … You always think you are there. I was always happy with my look and with my hair, and so when I look at the old pictures, I don’t like the hair now, but I was happy for that moment, and that’s great.

The Year: 2006The Look: Bill’s hair stars going up, up, up.

BK: I think we look tired in this one. You can see that we worked a lot from this time to this time. This was also at an awards show. I think my hair kind of looks most normal here. But it’s starting. Everything’s starting.

The Year: 2007The Look: Leather, lots of leather. And some bleached tips.

TK: We look a bit happier. You can see [the confidence].

BK: The record company [wanted me to have a stylist.] I remember the first meeting, and they said, “OK, Bill, you need a stylist,” and I was like, “Huh? I wanted to wear my own stuff, and that’s what I told you.” It’s the most important thing, that you’re happy with your music and your style. You can’t create success and you can’t create a successful band.

The Year: 2008The Look: The Porcupine Era is officially under way.

BK: I’m doing the point here, because it’s really easy for photographers. At first they take some pictures, and then they’re like, “Do something crazy!” and then you just do that [points], and everyone’s like, “Oh my gosh!” and everyone’s freaking out.

The Year: 2009The Look: The boys become men. Men with really great hair.

BK: This day was a really great day, I really liked those pictures. That was in Spain.